Appeals and complaints
Appeals
Authors may appeal a submission decision where they believe it was unfair. A letter stating the nature of the appeal and the reasons for challenging the decision must be sent to the Editor within 15 days. The Editor will examine the documentation, may consult the original reviewers and may appoint a new reviewer. The Editor's decision is final.
Complaints
Complaints concerning NJCR policies or procedures should be emailed to the Managing Editor or Editor. Properly submitted complaints will be acknowledged and their outcomes communicated as swiftly as possible.
Article retraction
Published articles should normally remain intact. In rare cases involving plagiarism, redundant publication, unreliable data or serious error, an article may be retracted, removed or replaced to protect the integrity of the scholarly record. Retractions are determined by the Editor and may also be initiated by authors where data or conclusions are flawed.
- The notice will identify the article, authors, reason and retracting authority.
- It will be published online and linked to the original article.
- It will appear in the next print issue and be identified in the table of contents.
Confidentiality
Authors, reviewers and editorial staff must treat all manuscripts, review materials and correspondence with the Editorial Office as confidential.
Copyright
Articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence. Copyright remains with the authors. Readers may reproduce, share and adapt published content provided the original source is properly attributed.
Corrections
Published articles will not ordinarily be altered or removed. A correction will be issued where a significant error affects accuracy or interpretation. Minor typographical errors will not normally be corrected. Corrections are issued at the Editor's discretion online and in the next available print issue.
Digital archiving, preservation and preprints
NJCR safeguards its digital content to support continuing accessibility and long-term preservation. Manuscripts should not be posted on recognised preprint servers before submission to the journal.
Media embargoes
Manuscripts remain under media embargo from submission until online publication or rejection. Authors may discuss their research with the media before publication but must not release key findings publicly until the article is published. Media reports should link to the online article.
Peer-review process
- The Editorial Office assesses each submission for compliance with journal requirements.
- Suitable manuscripts are assigned by the Managing Editor. Manuscripts outside the journal's remit may be rejected or returned for editing.
- Manuscripts passing initial screening are reviewed by at least two independent experts under a double-blind process. Reviewers are normally given 15 days to submit reports.
- The Editor, consulting the Managing Editor where necessary, decides publishability in light of the reviewers' recommendations. A third review may be commissioned where recommendations diverge.
- Authors may appeal to the Editor, whose decision is final.
Plagiarism
NJCR assesses suspected plagiarism individually and may screen manuscripts with Turnitin or equivalent tools.
Reported cases are investigated by the Editor and Managing Editor. Authors will be informed of detected plagiarism. Extensive cases may result in notification of the author's institution, a publication ban or retraction.
Self-archiving
Authors are encouraged to deposit the final published version in an institutional repository with proper acknowledgement of NJCR and inclusion of the DOI where available.
Artificial intelligence
NJCR follows UNESCO's principles on AI ethics and requires responsible, transparent use of AI in research. Any declarable use must be disclosed at submission, including the tool and relevant prompts.
Prohibited
Writing or generating manuscript content and creating data images.
Permitted with disclosure
Assistance with study design, editing, literature summarisation and modification of non-data images.
Permitted without disclosure
Grammar checking, similarity checking and reference management.
Undeclared or concealed AI use is treated as an ethical breach. Reviewers and editors are also responsible for ethical tool use, confidentiality and appropriate disclosure.
Publishing agreement
Every author must complete and upload the Publishing Agreement during online submission or send it to the Editorial Office. Review will not begin until all required agreements have been received. Following acceptance, the Editor will countersign and return a PDF copy for the authors' records.
Privacy statement
Names and email addresses entered on this website will be used exclusively for journal-related purposes and will not be made available to third parties for other uses.